Westside (9)

Just up the road from the scenic Santa Monica coastline, Montana Avenue provides a relaxed atmosphere for a fun day of shopping and dining. The area that stretches from 7th to 17th Street is home to more than 150 stores and restaurants. From unique home boutiques to high-end cosmetic stores, there is bound to be something that you will love on Montana Avenue. This is a one-stop destination for everyone in the family from babies on up. Before leaving, don’t forget to stop at one of the delicious restaurants in the area, serving everything from tasty burgers to unforgettable treats.

First incorporated by Harry Culver in 1917, Culver City began as an incubator for the film industry in the early 20th century, when Hal Roach and MGM Studios built their studios. The Hughes Aircraft Company opened its plant in Culver City in 1941, as seen in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.” Discover the Culver City of today during its renaissance as a destination for art, dining, theatre and more. Thanks to the ongoing expansion of the Metro Expo Line, the neighborhood can be easily explored without driving a car. Step into one of L.A.'s most walkable neighborhoods and experience the best of Culver City.

Brentwood is one of L.A.'s most affluent neighborhoods, located on the Westside between Westwood and Santa Monica. Brentwood began as a Mexican land grant ranch sold off by the Sepulveda family. Its modern development started in the 1880s and today it boasts one of the lowest population densities in the city, with lush green pastures and coral trees along its main thoroughfare, San Vicente Boulevard. Read on for a guide to the area's essential stops, and get up close and personal with one of the Westside's most beautiful neighborhoods.

Located on the Westside of Los Angeles, Westwood is a commercial and residential neighborhood that’s bordered by Beverly Hills to the east and Century City on the southeast. Westwood was initially developed in 1919 by Arthur Letts, the founder of the Broadway and Bullock's department stores. Developed in 1929 by Janss Investment Company, Westwood Village is a shopping and commercial district in the heart of Westwood, home to cultural attractions like the Hammer Museum and Geffen Playhouse. The campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is just north of Westwood Village. Read on for a walking tour of some of the can't-miss spots in Westwood.

The neighborhood of Sawtelle Japantown (formerly known as Little Osaka) is a true gem of West Los Angeles. The historic area is home to a sizable Japanese American population and is known for the trendy shops and restaurants centered on Sawtelle Boulevard. During World War II, the community was disrupted and lives were uprooted because of the Japanese American internment, one of the darkest chapters in American history. A large number of them resettled in Little Osaka as they reintegrated into society. Today, Sawtelle Japantown is represented not only by its Japanese American postwar settlers and their descendants, but by a diverse set of Asians and other ethnicities and backgrounds. Take a stroll through the neighborhood and shop kitschy boutiques, nosh on delicious multicultural fare and more.

From its inception and then incorporation by Harry Culver in the early 1900s to the renovation and revitalization of its downtown that began in the 90s, Culver City is a city rich with motion picture, television and aviation history. Metro Goldwyn Mayer built their studios there in the 1920s; the facility later became Sony Pictures Studios. Howard Hughes opened his Hughes Aircraft plant in 1941 - at one time it was the largest employer in Los Angeles. Sony Pictures Entertainment is Culver City’s largest employer to date.

Iconic films such as "The Wizard of Oz," "Gone with the Wind," a portion of "Grease" and the Tarzan series were filmed in Culver City. By the early 2000s, parts of the Hughes empire had been purchased by or merged with General Motors, Boeing, NewsCorp and Raytheon, but Culver City’s imprint on aviation is evident throughout Martin Scorsese’s biopic, "The Aviator."

Read on to learn about the lesser-known destinations worth seeking out in “The Heart of Screenland.”

Century City originated as the backlot of 20th Century Fox. With the advent of television representing tough competition for the studio and a budget for the movie Cleopatra spiraling out of control, the studio sold portions of its backlot to Alcoa Inc. and William Zeckendorf with the option to lease 75 acres back.

Welton Becket - who designed landmarks such as the Capitol Records building, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and the Cinerama Dome - as well as other architects were hired to develop a masterplan for the brand new commercial and residential city-within-a-city, using aluminum for high rises. The city was designed with pedestrian bridges and wide boulevards to ease crowding. Today, Century City is a center of business and commerce in Los Angeles, so it can be easy to overlook the public places worth visiting. Read on and discover 10 hidden gems in Century City.

The area of Los Angeles known as the Westside encompasses a diverse range of multicultural, historic and luxury neighborhoods. In this second part of our guide to the Westside, we cover Brentwood to Westwood and Sawtelle Japantown, including hidden gems of culture, history, shopping and nature.

The Mid-City area of LA’s Westside is a treasure trove of art, culture, shopping and dining. The wide range of the area's multicultural residents is exemplary of what Los Angeles is all about - there are pockets and enclaves of each that contribute to the city's beautiful patchwork quilt. And while there's no shortage of museums to see, shops to browse, or restaurants to dine at, you may want to get to know a lesser-known dimension of this side of town. Whether you're a visitor or a resident, there's something new to be learned about this area at the center of Los Angeles.